As a
child I used to play a game, which involved nothing more than lying on my back,
staring at the sky. As the clouds formed and floated by, my imagination inserted
characters into the story unfolding before my eyes. These clouds became the
catalyst for what would become a lifelong compulsion to daydream and slip into
other worlds merely by being outside.

While
working out ideas for this exhibit, it became clear that clouds would be the
foundation for each piece. By taking them out of the background and making them
the framework for my ideas, I quickly discovered how “The Outside”—this world
that I have created for myself—has consumed my subconscious. After years spent buried
in books, learning about animals and oddities, heroes and villains, truth and
fiction, "The Outside" has become an assortment of bizarre morphing
creatures, winged observers, antique odds and ends, and tentacled heroes who
have become my friends over the years. Simultaneously, “The Outside” has
illuminated my secret desire of escaping this world with its politics, its
trappings, and its stresses. These pieces serve as an intermission from the
struggles of our world and bring back the heart of a kid, lying on his back,
interpreting what he sees in the clouds, completely and utterly carefree.